Love's Occasions
by Arrhythmic Song
Summary: [COMPLETE] SK, yaoi. Multichapter Post-Promised Day. Five (to be) chapters chronicling the events of year 2000. Five occasions to love someone.
1. New Year's Day

Love's Occasions

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Arrhythmic Song: Welcome to another of my multi-chapter SK fictions. This is pretty much going to be five chapters, celebrating special events in the one year after the Promised Day, which very obviously Subaru and Kamui have survived. Meet the first chapter.

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Chapter One: New Millennium, 2000

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Christmas was in the air: Kamui could tell. The streets were decked out in trappings of green and red and bright gold lights, happy faces filled the space around him. It was the anticipation of a Christmas spent with family and friends. Most of these people would never know how close the human race had come to total eradication- rather, they went about happily, commuters on the train looking forward to going home to their families as the sheer spirit of the festivities filled the air with the promise of log cake and family closeness.

The Promised Day had come and gone, and a few of the Dragons- from both sides- had survived to see 2004's New Year. Karen. Yuuto. Yuzuriha. Kusanagi. Arashi. Himself. And of course... Subaru.

It had been difficult for all of them, difficult to heal and live on. Karen had let Aoki go; though she would always feel the guilt of him having left a wife and a child to save her in the end. It wasn't a calculated decision to put Karen before his wife and child, but it was merely the sheer impulse to protect her- an impulse that had catapulted him into a wall of wire while throwing Karen out of harm's way.

There was no way he had really thought he would die destroying Beast and Satsuki inside it.

That was something about the human spirit, the human condition, Kamui mused, especially for the young and those in the prime of life. It was unthinkable for them to believe that they would die, as much as they got their rational, thinking, conscious mind to accept it, it was an impossibility and somewhere in the depths of their subconscious, they would always be surprised at death's inevitability.

Karen had fought Yuuto to a standstill and both had dropped, exhausted and unconscious, only to be found like that after Fuuma lay dead at Kamui's hands. Yuzuriha and Kusanagi had at the end refused to fight each other despite the first few half-hearted blows, and Sorata died a happy death in the arms of his nee-chan.

According to Subaru, Arashi had picked up his battered body and cried tears of blood and sorrow over it before he told her to live on or he would never forgive her. That the Arashi he had fallen in love with, the Arashi he still loved and would love, would never let this get her down. That she had to rebuild a life, a life without him, with someone else if necessary. So far, Arashi had managed the 'without Sorata' part. Whether she would fulfil the 'someone else' part... Kamui personally doubted it.

Subaru had merely watched and waited for one of the two 'Kamui's to end it all. What was there for him, after all? His opponent was to have been Seishirou Sakurazuka- the Sakurazukamori. Seishirou had died and he _was_ the Sakurazukamori. It was an irony that did not escape any of them on the Promised Day itself.

In the end, though, it had not been Kamui who had ended it: it had been Fuuma. Fuuma had been the one to end it, been the one to take Kamui's hand and drive the Shinken through his own body. And in that moment the fighting ceased. For all that the Ten no Ryuu and the Chi no Ryuu had their own differences, at the heart of everything, it was between one Kamui and the other.

So it happened that Kamui had collapsed in shock at the body of Fuuma lying there peacefully, and Subaru had come forward, picked him up- Kamui had not resisted even as sightless eyes leaked reflex tears- hugged him loosely and said, "It's over."

The thread of events had been so slender, so fragile. Had Subaru not come for him back then when he had trapped himself in the dreamscape, so much would never, ever have come to pass. So much that might not have happened. So much that would have happened had that alternate reality been followed.

It seemed to be the cruelest of ironies that the Promised Day had been the last day of 1999, held amidst the bustle of oblivious people preparing for the New Year. Somehow Kamui had found the strength to go to one of the Buddhist temples in the vicinity and listen to the sounding of the bells there, a hundred and eight tolls for the hundred and eight sins of the human condition.

The bells tolled for the dead.

Subaru had brought him back to his own home, a small, Spartan apartment with not much. One would have thought that the Seals would have stuck together after their victory, but it was, after all, a hollow one. Kamui had succumbed to nightmares the first few nights, reduced to crying Fuuma's name over and over and over as he scrunched up in bed, recuperating from the not-so-insubstantial wounds- both physical and mental- with Subaru continually beside him. Subaru had been there, had held him despite his own demons in the dark. For the New Year, the day after the Promised Day, Kamui had been nothing but an emotional wreck. For the moments he wasn't crying, he was just shivering and clutching at the frail protection of Subaru's hold.

It just seemed too surreal, laid up in bed and trembling in the darkness while all around them fireworks bloomed like scarlet poppies in the celebration of New Year, ushering in a new millennium- and Kamui felt a sudden stab of doubt. Another thousand years of progress, another thousand years of death for the Earth. The seven remaining Dragons would try to fight whatever mankind did to poison the land- but how long? How long till 2999, when another version of the Promised Day would take place?

That New Year had been the start of his relationship with Subaru, a tenuous tie with the other man that had grown into a mutual reliance. After the first few days, it had been Subaru's turn to fall apart. And then it had been much easier for Kamui to put the events of the past away: simply because this was the here and now and Subaru needed him. Subaru needed him as much as he needed Subaru.

He knew that at the start of everything their reliance on each other had been almost unhealthy, practically obsessive. Like addictive drugs. Falling into him, falling into him so badly that nothing else would have sufficed, falling into him and needing his presence, feeling his absence like a physical ache, even. The world in Subaru's apartment complex had been silent, people out visiting the shrines, praying to the gods.

Kamui could barely believe there was still a god.

Kamui had never dared contemplate what would have happened to him if Subaru had died. He knew that Subaru had never dared contemplate what would have happened to himself if Kamui had died.

That New Year had been the death of a relationship and the beginning of another.

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Arrhythmic: Alright, this makes more of a prologue than a chapter, but I hope you liked it. Anyone wants to guess the other four occasions? The last chapter will come up on 24th or 25th December... Hope you'll enjoy! If you did, review! If you didn't, review too! 


	2. Valentine's Day

Love's Occasions

Arrhythmic: As promised (Day), Chapter Two! Dealing with Feb the fourteenth! Fwahaha...

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Chapter Two: Valentine's Day

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'Karen-san, heat the oven till what again?'

'350 Fahrenheit, Kamui.'

'How much is that in degrees Celsius, Karen-san?'

'I'm not sure. 180, I think. Why don't you just go out and buy a cake, Kamui?'

'Because it's not right,' Kamui said shortly, dusted in flour from head to toe, the receiver clenched between his ear and shoulder. 'And I know Subaru loves white chocolate.'

'Okay, so melted chocolate, check, what now?'

'Add the vanilla, Kamui.'

'Now?'

'Of course now, if not what, next year? Now, go cream the butter and sugar. Fluffy, Kamui, fluffy.'

'In other words, not-in-funny-lumps?'

'Yes, not-in-funny-lumps.' Karen's voice was patient as she delivered instructions to the younger Dragon of Heaven on how to bake a white chocolate cake. 'Why are you doing this, Kamui? I thought girls were supposed to give guys things on Valentine's Day?' her voice held a hint of laughter.

'Well, Subaru likes white chocolate, and I thought...' She could almost see Kamui's blush, palely visible through his white-flour-coat. 'Just teasing, Kamui. Get on with it, if you want to make a good cake. Add the chocolate, then the egg yolks. Just the egg yolks, no whites!'

'... Too late, Karen-san.'

She sighed volubly, and over the phone it sounded like a rush of static. 'I suppose it can't be helped. Tell me no bits of shell got in?'

'Hey. I'm not that bad!' Kamui said, sounding adorably indignant.

'Sift the dry ingredients together, add in the buttermilk bit by bit.'

'Uhhh... buttermilk, buttermilk... will ordinary milk do, Karen-san? Oh, wait, here it is. Okay. How much buttermilk?'

'One cup, Kamui.'

A sudden explosion of coughing had her startling in alarm. 'What, Kamui?'

'Umm-' hack, cough, 'Nothing, Karen-' cough, '-san. Just... sifted too hard-' cough.

'Oh, Kamui,' she said, a laughing tone in her voice.

'Do you think I have time to make chocolate liqueur after this?' His tone was faintly hopeful in anticipation.

'Let's concentrate on the cake first, shall we?' she laughed. 'And besides, chocolate liqueur needs to be prepared two weeks in advance. You're a bit late, sweetie.'

'Oh.' Kamui sounded so crestfallen she could barely hold back her laughter. 'Don't worry. Subaru will love whatever you do for him. Are we done with the buttermilk adding?'

'Umm, yeah, I think.'

'Add the pecans. Your Subaru doesn't eat coconut, right?'

'Yeah, he hates the stuff. I'm leaving it out,' Kamui said resolutely, for all the world sounding like he was making some earth-shattering proclamation.

'Blend it.'

'Huh?'

'Mix, my dear, mix. Mix until it's evenly blended, not in pieces,' Karen said extremely sweetly. 'Egg whites- those you didn't remember to separate- are now supposed to be blended with the sugar till it's a fluffy peak, but... just chuck the sugar in. We'll play this by ear. Are we finally, finally done, no accidents?'

'_Ah_! Karen-san, the oven's smoking!'

'Quick! Turn it off!'

There was a sudden ringing and the sound of liquid pattering down. Vaguely she heard Kamui yell '_No_!' All was silence except for the crazed ringing and the sound of falling water, and then Kamui returned to the phone, sounding sufficiently doused. 'It set the fire alarm off.'

'I... could tell.'

'I saved the mix, though.'

'Is your oven still functioning?'

'Um.' _Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle... clank. _'No, I don't think so.'

Silence.

'Subaru?'

* * *

Subaru could only stare at the mess that... used to be his kitchen, with a very dumbfounded looking Kamui standing smack in the middle of it all, dusted in brown-white and looking rather wet. 

'The sprinkler system went off,' Kamui offered in a small voice, ducking his head shamefacedly.

'And just what were you doing to cause the sprinkler system to go off?' Subaru asked. He knew that by all rights he should have been angry, but the sight of Kamui, dressed in a shirt clinging in all the right places, knee-length denim darkened by water, looking so contrite and sad...

'Making a cake,' Kamui ventured, still not looking up,

'Why?'

'Valentine's Day. For... for you.' The admission was hesitant, but when it came, Subaru's heart melted. 'I'm- I'm sorry for ruining the kitchen, Subaru. I'll clean it- I really will, I promise.'

Subaru laughed, crossing a sodden floor with as much care as possible. 'It's all right. Don't look so sad,' he said, tipping up Kamui's chin, forcing the younger Ten no Ryuu to look at him. 'I don't like seeing you sad. Go bathe. I'll see what I can do to this.'

Walking to the closet nearby, Subaru got a mop, then rolled up his sleeves as the sound of water started cascading down in the bathroom. It was then he noticed the black phone on the countertop, the slight sounds coming from it indicating someone on the other end. Picking it up, he asked, 'Hello?'

'Subaru-san?'

'Ah, Karen-san? What're you doing on the phone?'

Karen laughed. 'Kamui called me as soon as you'd stepped out of the house, Subaru-san. He was attempting to make a white chocolate cake, as you've probably heard. You weren't supposed to come back this early. Be nice to him. He was really earnest about wanting to _make _you something, rather than buy it. And you know what chocolate on Valentine's Day signifies, don't you?'

Giggling in a very undignified way for a woman her age, Karen hung up on a rather stupefied Subaru Sumeragi.

Kamui stepped out of the shower, wondering whether Subaru was angry at him and fervently hoping he was not. _Man, I've managed to ruin Valentine's Day. How stupid can I get? I should have taken Karen-san's suggestion and just bought the chocolate... I'm not Yuzuriha, after all. She's so good at cooking. I'm sure she's managed to make something really nice for Kusanagi-san... _

Deciding worrying was pointless; he pulled on a shirt- coincidentally one belonging to Subaru- as well as drawstring pants before heading out.

Head down, he didn't notice Subaru standing in front of him until the older man enveloped him in a fierce hug, bending down to whisper in his ear, 'Karen told me what you wanted to do for me. Thank you. Hokuto... Hokuto used to make me chocolate.'

Horrified, Kamui broke away. 'I- I'm sorry, Subaru. I never meant to bring up unhappy memories...'

'But they aren't unhappy memories, Kamui,' Subaru answered, gently holding Kamui by the shoulders. He could feel the tension in the violet-eyed youth, like a rabbit above ground in unfamiliar surroundings, ready to bolt at any moment. 'Thank you for doing this for me.' Hesitantly, he stooped, then brushed his lips across Kamui's lightly, hurriedly backing off.

In a slight daze, Kamui could only notice the rosy blush that spread across Subaru's cheeks- _he actually looks really cute- _before he broke out into a brilliant smile and rushed forward to engulf Subaru in a hug of his own, pressing an ear to the older man's heart and hearing its steady, quiet beating.

It was a while before either of them moved, but Subaru broke away, gently disentangling himself from the younger Seal. 'Well, I've cleaned the kitchen. No white chocolate, but how about pizza and a cup of hot chocolate later?'

Kamui smiled, shyly approaching Subaru, pressing both palms flat to his chest before rising to his tiptoes. Subaru stiffened, then seemed to relax and brace himself at the same time, both of them knowing what was coming.

The doorbell rang and Kamui almost tripped in his hurry to get away from the Sumeragi, who reached out and grabbed him just before they fell. They stood there, staring at each other for that one, long moment before the doorbell pealed insistently.

Kamui smiled ruefully and went to answer the door.

Over Japan, couples were either at home or out, romancing each other with roses and fine dining. It was a night of love and for most, a night of beginnings, a night of proposals, a night of promised future. For all, it was a night of dreams, of loved ones and sweet kisses.

For Kamui, it was a night of pizza on the couch, and quiet laughter at the fracas he had caused in the kitchen, a night of blushes and gentle teasing. A night of normalcy, where the Promised Day was over and the Tree was a distant problem. A night of sweetness and fun, of hot chocolate that wasn't white, drunk from a shared mug in joined cupped hands.

A night of warmth.

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Arrhythmic: Personally, I don't appreciate the ending. It doesn't seem right. But I do hope the readers liked it! If you did, please review! See the button? If you didn't, review anyway! Tell me what went wrong! 


	3. Birthday

Love's Occasions

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Arrhythmic: Thanks to all those who reviewed! I know that SK commands a smaller audience from the X1999 fandom... so thank you! Oh, and in a side note to all readers of Onmyoujitsu: it is unlikely that you will get an update until I actually finish with Love's Occasions... Because LO is on a once-every-two-days update schedule. 

And in a note to **Haru**: I _do_ know that in Japan the girls give the guys their presents on Feb 14th, vice versa on White Day on March 14th. The thing is... SK is yaoi/shounen-ai/whatever you call it. So... since Kamui is uke here... yeah, I figured he'd give Subaru the present on Feb 14th, yes?

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Chapter Three: Birthday

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Inuki smiled eagerly at Yuzuriha, who was practically cackling in glee as she smiled at him, setting seven plates out on the table. 'Isn't it great, Inuki?' she asked. 'Subaru-kun's cooking! Sit under the table later, okay? I'll give you bits!' 

Inuki agreed very wholeheartedly. It seemed to be the birth-day of the one that Mistress called Kamui-chan, and he was very much looking forward to the nice smells wafting from the kitchen. He had gone in a couple of times and sniffed around a bit more, but the tall one with the green eye- Mistress called him Subaru-kun- had attempted to hit his nose with a ladle and chased him out, saying something about being too big for begging for scraps.

_One is never too old to beg for scraps, _he personally felt.

'Feeding your dog under the table is impolite, Yuzu-chan,' Yuuto said, coming out of the kitchen. Inuki eyed him tolerantly. This one was not a very nice male. Mistress had not liked him during the fighting, but since she seemed to have changed her opinion, he wouldn't try and bite him. All the same... he darted forward and nipped at the cow-skin shoes.

'No, Inuki! Down, boy!' His Mistress commanded, and he slunk back to her, whimpering and looking sadly up at her. She smiled and bent down, hugging him. At the same time, she whispered, 'Scraps,' into his ear and he broke into tail-wagging.

The bell rang, and the Subaru-kun's home grew even more crowded. The apartment wasn't used to noise, Inuki could tell. It smelt a lot of the Subaru-kun and the Kamui-chan, and those two smelt quiet. They didn't smell boisterous, not like his Mistress. This time it was the redhead woman, called Karen-san. The Karen-san smiled at the Yuuto and at Yuzuriha. 'Hello, Yuzuriha. When is Kusanagi coming?'

Inuki's ears pricked up at the mention of Kusanagi, who would probably feed him scraps too. Mistress loved Kusanagi very much and kept talking about him, sometimes. 'I'm right here,' the deep voice sounded. Inuki ran to him, tail waggling enthusiastically, receiving a scratch behind the ears for it. 'So where's the birthday boy?'

'He's still at school,' Yuzuriha answered, staring up at her love and smiling enthusiastically. 'He'll be back soon, though, if we're not wrong!'

'Alright, then,' Kusanagi said, heading to the kitchen and poking his head in. 'Sumeragi-san! That smells great!'

Subaru smiled. Aproned with slippers on his feet, he was handling a pot of boiling spaghetti noodles while attempting to cook the sauce in another pot, deftly slicing meat. Kamui's birthday celebration had been an idea that expanded- not without the very enthusiastic help of Yuzuriha and Karen- into a full-scale Dragon reunion.

Arashi entered next, holding the cake in both hands and raised to chest height, like a proud trophy of some sort. Entering the kitchen, she greeted Subaru with a quick nod and slid the box into the fridge. The cake, however, was quickly forgotten in the tentative, 'Hello, everyone? I'm home.' Kamui.

Arashi watched as Yuzuriha ran up and embraced the boy, violently yelling, 'Happy Birthday, Kamui!' in his ear, Inuki giving him enthusiastic licks on a quickly dampening pant leg. Karen was a lot more motherly, and the rest gave him quick though sincere birthday wishes. Subaru touched Arashi on the arm, indicating the pots. She nodded to reassure him as he pulled the apron off, chucking it on a spare chair.

It was almost as if Kamui could sense Subaru, the way the younger boy turned to face him and waited, head expectantly tilted. A wry corner of his mouth lifted and the next minute Kamui's face was buried in Subaru's shirt cloth, arms wrapped tightly around each other. It was a long moment before they broke away, not caring to mind the slyly discreet and knowing glances of the people around them.

'You're home, Kamui.'

'Subaru,' Kamui greeted.

Both of them knew home was not a place. It was a person.

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'Cut the cake, Kamui! Blow the candles! And don't forget to make a wish!' Yuzuriha chirped, then clapped a hand to her mouth. 'I- I'm sorry, I didn't realize...' 

Wishes were, after all, a sensitive topic. Wishes had been at the bottom of everything that had led up to the Promised Day: wishes to protect, wishes for love, wishes for revenge, knowing wishes and hopes and dreams. Kamui smiled quickly at Yuzuriha, pressing the blunted knife into the edge of the cake, a plain square decorated with blobs of white cream and his own name. 'It's okay, Yuzu-chan,' he used the diminutive of her name on purpose, hoping to reassure the tense, worried look on her face. 'It _is_ traditional to wish, isn't it?'

Shutting his eyes for a moment, Kamui wished, then blew out the candles in one fell swoop.

He wished to be happy.

The tension was diffused and the cake sliced deftly.

* * *

The apartment grew silent again, only the ghosts of noise echoing through the house as Kamui fell onto the sofa and against Subaru, cuddling into his lap. 'That was fun, wasn't it, Subaru?' 

The older man smiled down at him, the warmth in that smile a caress in itself even as Kamui stroked gentle hands across his face, sitting upright and snuggling closer. 'Yes, it was. Sometimes I think we're too quiet, Kamui.'

'No,' Kamui said decisively. 'I like it this way.'

Personally, Subaru liked it this way too. Noise in the apartment reminded him too much of Hokuto and past days. Days when Hokuto had been relentless in teasing Subaru about his little- or not-so little- love for Seishirou. Days when he had been innocent in supposing the Sakurazukamori loved him.

Not that Seishirou didn't, he supposed. Seishirou had loved him too, but in a way that he could not accept. The born killer, raised in a household where his most indelible lesson had been, 'There is no greater happiness than to be killed by the one you love'.

For Kamui, it was a reminder of his childhood happiness, which had been all too transient. Childhood happiness with Kotori and Fuuma, where Fuuma had been big brother and protector to both, and Kotori had inspired them both to care for her. Kotori had been the third party, though, interjecting herself into the friendship after Kamui and Fuuma had made that first bond in the rain, over a stray puppy. Not that anyone could blame Kotori, but in many ways Fuuma and Kamui had been close in a way that she could never have achieved.

Lost in their own thoughts for a while, it was moment before either of them responded to each other again. Kamui was first to smile up sadly at Subaru. The main thing he loved about the Sumeragi- that simple ability of Subaru's to _understand_. Their experiences had been just so fundamentally similar it was almost uncanny.

_Is this what it means to be soulmates? _Kamui wondered. Out loud: 'Subaru? Do you think someone up there made us for each other?'

Subaru pondered the question. In the mouths of any other person it would be a mundanely sappy question, but with the extent to which Destiny played with their lives... it could be possible, possible that the two of them had been fated to suffer and then pick up the shattered pieces; get on with life as best as they could. Together.

It was an oddly comforting idea. It had been a while since the Valentine's Day when they had bonded together, laughing over Kamui's disastrous attempt at cake-making, and somehow they had grown into each other. Love was something beyond the two of them still, wounded and battered from Seishirou and Fuuma. Theirs was reliance, comfort. Not so much of love.

_Yet_. Subaru resolutely tacked that last little word on in his mind.

'Maybe, Kamui. Maybe.'

Kamui smiled. 'Let's go to bed, Subaru.'

'Oh, Kamui?'

'Yes, Subaru?'

'Happy Birthday. Here's... my present to you.'

It was a small box. Before he opened it, Kamui already knew what was inside- a ring, two bands of silver twisted together, with an accompanying chain of delicate silver. The twined symbolism was beautifully obvious, and Kamui smiled at Subaru. 'Help me put it on, please.'

* * *

It was the day that Kamui realized Fuuma wasn't the only one who could grant wishes. He still couldn't figure out what had made him happier- the ring, or the following kiss.

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Arrhythmic: This is kinda late in my time zone, nine thirty at night. But- but- but! I tried! I met the deadline! Alright, alright, I'll stop the blathering- if you review! Please! 


	4. Cherry Blossoms

Love's Occasions

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Arrhythmic: O-kay! Now, we finally have a Japanese-festival specific chapter, which is... the annual cherry blossom viewing! Now, knowing Subby-chan's job, there is much-much-much angst attributed to this chapter, though our two lovely protagonists finally come to a realization about some things. SK fangirls unite! (Non-SK writers, unite anyway!)

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Chapter Four: Cherry Blossoms In the Wind

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In Japan, the annual cherry blossom viewing festival is a highly joyous occasion, a moment to see the pink-white national flower bloom in all its glory. Now, somewhere in Japan, the cherry blossoms grow particularly thick and beautiful. At the center of this park stands one Tree, ancient beyond counting. This Tree has learnt to defend itself through a human. 

The Tree of the Sakurazukamori. And the families that picnic under it do not know that the petals showering down are the result of buried bodies turned to bloody fertilizer. Imagine your daughter, simply killed one night, an innocent laughing body devoured by the hungry roots of the Sakura...

Kamui worried for Subaru. The onmyouji was withdrawn, smoking cigarettes almost compulsively in the room they shared. It was a bad sign, because since the Promised Day Subaru had gradually been smoking less and less. But the festival had triggered a deep unhappiness somewhere within him, all the pent-up frustration of serving as the Sakurazukamori.

The one part of Seishirou he had never been able to throw away, despite the fact that his life was shared with Kamui now. It was an often-ignored reminder, that golden eye beside his green one. The eye that wasn't Subaru but was a part of him. It hurt Kamui, and Subaru knew it hurt Kamui. But it was the one reminder of an old life; a reminder that could not just be discarded so simply.

Subaru flung himself back against the bed, stubbing out the cigarette in the ashtray on the bedside table. Today was the cherry blossom festival. In Ueno Park, there would be families under the Tree, and the Tree would bask in their vitality, drink it in and its hunger would be awakened. Subaru would again, have to tonight go out and find a victim who would not know for what he had died.

Subaru hated killing. The Dark Kamui had saw wishes, had once said that very few people in Japan did not want to die at all costs. The innocence of children, maybe, and their resilience for hardship. Maybe it took a certain selfishness to have that wish; a total instinct of self-preservation that humans had since chucked in cultivating relationships with other people.

Dying for someone was a commonly entertained idea. Dying because of someone was probably even more common.

Yet, Subaru couldn't help but feel revolted every time he slit someone's throat. Seishirou had always used far more brutal methods of death, knowing the fear in the victim's final moments seasoned the flesh for the Tree. Strangulation, the typical hand-through-the-chest... but for Subaru, there was a small, functional blade in his pocket when he dressed in Seishirou's clothing and set off into the night. They usually never knew what hit them, and he supposed that was a small blessing.

Outside in the living room, Kamui made a decision- and decided to execute it before his nerves left him. Walking to the bedroom, he gave two sharp knocks before cracking it open just that fractional inch, pausing as he stuck his head in tentatively. 'Subaru?'

Subaru knew he shouldn't be irritated at Kamui. Kamui had come to mean a lot to him, and Subaru knew the younger boy cared deeply for him. But in a moment like this... he would never admit it, but he would rather have had Kamui leave him alone to wallow in misery.

'Let's go out.'

'Where?'

Kamui took a deep breath. 'Ueno Park. I want to visit the Sakura.'

The silence was almost unbearable for those few moments before Subaru sat upright and gave Kamui an oddly measuring look. 'You want to visit the Tree.' It was not a question, but Kamui nodded nonetheless.

'What if I say no?'

Kamui took another breath and fixed Subaru with a pleading but firm look in those big amethyst eyes. 'Then I'll go alone, Subaru. But I would like it a lot more if you came with me.' This would mark the closest they had ever come to a quarrel, considering that both of them were usually very much unwilling to fight with each other.

One second. Two. Then Subaru sighed and said, 'Get your coat. Let's go.'

Resisting the urge to whoop like a five-year-old, Kamui smiled brilliantly at Subaru. 'Thank you.'

* * *

They drew eyes from all around them, the older man and the young teenage boy, the man with mismatched eyes that frightened those who looked too closely. The green eye suited him, suited his overall air of sadness, of having seen too much. The golden eye looked as if it belonged in a face more gamine, more accustomed to danger. An eye that had seen as much of death as the other, but interpreted it in a far different way. 

The younger boy was next to catch attention- how could he not, with a pair of eyes that seemed to eclipse every other feature on his face at first? Dark violet, set in a face that was almost feminine, with its full lips and pale, delicate skin. Eyes that had seen plenty of pain and darkness. One could not help but feel that the joyous occasion only seemed to add to more of his sorrow.

Actually, by the time Kamui and Subaru had arrived at the park, at five thirty in the afternoon, most people had begun to pack up, happy faces showing on all sides. Cherry blossom viewing was the general purpose, but people spent the day in the company of friends and loved ones. No one could spend five hours contemplating the beauty of a sakura petal.

Except maybe Subaru. He was at the Tree already, Kamui having lagged behind for a while, and staring into its pink-clad branches with a certain sort of horrid fascination, like watching someone's limbs get amputated. Horror is the topmost instinct but a disgustingly human curiosity forces you to keep watching. You can't look away.

Rather than break the spell, Kamui walked up to the Sakura and laid a cautiously respectful hand against its bark.

_Falling. Drowning. Sakura petals in a blitzkrieg all around him, binding him, filling his senses..._

It was a sharp cry of his name- 'Kamui!'- panicked, scared that brought him back, and there was an arm on his, tugging him away from the grasp of that ancient creature of power. He was suddenly in Subaru's arms, and there were curious looks directed at them from the people around him... fighting off the wave of dizziness, he didn't object as Subaru lowered him to the ground, leaning Kamui against himself rather than against the Tree. 'Never touch the Tree knowing what it is. Even the Sakurazukamori doesn't do that... although I think that sometimes Seishirou did. He liked, possibly _needed_, the brush with death: it left him with a sense of the Tree's hunger, enabled him to kill better, even.'

Kamui was silent for a moment as he stared up at the Tree from within the shelter of Subaru's arms. 'Subaru? You loved Seishirou, didn't you? That's why you're doing this?'

It took a while. During the events leading up to the Promised Day, Subaru had been almost eager to talk to Kamui about Seishirou, like it was a release of some kind. But now, after the man's death and his trying to move on, Seishirou was barely mentioned, and then only if Kamui brought him up.

If Kamui had exorcised the pain that came with the memory of Fuuma, Subaru never had. Not for nearly ten years already.

'Yes, Kamui.' The admission was quiet, pained, pressed from Subaru. 'I did love him, very much. Sometimes I think I still do. I'm sorry-' the last part was uttered quickly, the giving of an excuse, the guilty cover-up of something that needed saying even though truth would hurt another person, because carrying the burden was growing too heavy to carry.

Kamui stopped him, struggling upright. 'There is nothing for you to be sorry about, Subaru.' It was the use of his name that seemed to calm the onmyouji; he subsided as Kamui went on talking in a low voice. 'I knew you loved Seishirou since ages ago. It's part of what made you who you are.' And unconsciously he traced the inverted pentagram emblazoned onto the back of Subaru's hand.

Subaru seemed to slacken in defeat. 'You know something, Kamui? I'm afraid. Afraid of loving you. I do love you, you know,' he added almost conversationally. 'The only thing is, the people I've really loved have all died, one after the other. Hokuto first, for love of me. Seishirou second, for love of me again. I'm starting to wonder if I'm bad luck of some kind.' His tone tried for flippancy, but there was a strained note within it that spoke of Subaru's inner pain.

'Trust me, Subaru. After all I've seen, if I die it won't be for, or because of you,' the words were harsh, almost, but they seemed to give an odd comfort to Subaru. Kamui's smile was molten steel. 'And besides, that won't stop me loving you.' There. The words were out. The words they'd danced over and around and about, because somehow it didn't seem right to say them and force that confrontation, force that acknowledgement. Maybe if they loved silently, the gods above wouldn't take notice.

And suddenly both of them knew they needn't have worried. There was worry, and pain, and then there was a sudden sense of acceptance. A sense of inevitability.

Subaru never did go hunting that night. Both of them slept chastely side by side, tucked together in bed, loving each other the way they always had. The Sakurazukamori refused to hear the rustling of the Tree in the night wind, listening instead to the silent beating of hearts in tandem.

* * *

Arrhythmic: Alright! I'm still on schedule! I shall be glad. Chapter Three didn't get many reviews... may I be so bold as to ask for some nice peoples to write me some nice new ones? And there's a question: would you prefer the last chapter on the twenty fourth, or the twenty fifth? 


	5. All I Want For Christmas Is You

Love's Occasions

* * *

Arrhythmic: And the final chapter is here. I thank all the people who have been reviewing this so far, and sticking with me! Here's your Christmas present: the sugar and waff loaded last chapter of Love's Occasions!

* * *

Chapter Five: All I Want for Christmas Is You

* * *

_I don't want a lot for Christmas_

_There is just one thing I need_

Kamui let himself back into the apartment, humming a little song that he had heard playing in the shops and on the airwaves. It sounded really cheerful, and he felt like dedicating it to Subaru. Christmas present shopping had been done already, and he was looking forward to the boisterous company of the other Seals, especially Yuzuriha and Karen.

_I don't care about the presents  
Underneath the Christmas tree_

Unconsciously, his fingers- those not holding the log cake- stole to the ring on the necklace, the present given to him on his birthday, hanging just next to his heart on a thin chain.

Later that would change.

They would be going over to Yuuto's bachelor pad, as he put it- only that after he married Karen, after their one year of flirtation and talks, he wouldn't be much of a bachelor any more. 'Isn't it time to go?' Kamui asked, popping his head into the living room, where Subaru sat, reading a book.

'Oh, alright,' Subaru said, getting up from his spot. 'Would you like to walk, take the train, or just go for a traditional building-to-building sprint?'

'The train will be absolutely fine,' Kamui said mock-sternly, grinning cheerfully back at Subaru. 'I'll just go get ready?'

When Kamui re-exited the bedroom, Subaru couldn't quite find the difference between half a second ago.

* * *

Of course, the onmyouji suddenly realized it when Yuzuriha latched onto Kamui, smiling widely. Subaru nodded to Kusanagi, seeing that they had all met each other getting off at the train station. 'Kamui-chan! Subby! Merry Christmas... and a Happy New Year!' she sang the last portion, grinning happily as Inuki's tail wagged like a metronome, keeping time to Yuzuriha's singing. 

'Christmas songs are nice, aren't they?' Kamui asked agreeably, letting Yuzuriha link hands with him. 'I liked the one called-'

'Eh? Kamui-chan? When did you start wearing a ring?' Curiously she held up their linked hands, revealing the silver ring gleaming in the glare of the street lamps as they winked on in the falling twilight, laughter and warmth emitting from the apartment blocks around them, people laughing and toasting each other with 'Merry Christmases', fitting comfortably on Kamui's ring finger.

Kamui directed a small, private smile at Subaru as he looked curiously at the younger Ten no Ryuu. 'Just today,' Kamui told Yuzuriha offhandedly.

_I just want you for my own  
More than you could ever know  
Make my wish come true...  
All I want for Christmas is...You

* * *

_

'Merry Christmas!' Yuuto called, bringing the red wine round the table and eagerly filling the glasses even as Kamui tried to protest. 'You're old enough to get drunk,' Yuuto said dismissively, pouring it next into Subaru's glass.

The dinner was informal; the food all set out on one table with paper plates and spoons at the side. Karen sat with them, entertaining them with stories from the soapland. Kusanagi had given Yuzuriha a sideways look, as if to suggest that Yuzu should not be listening to stories of dirty old men who liked to dress up as women, but she blithely ignored her protector, smiling as she egged Karen on. Karen paused only to say, 'Ah, Kusanagi, she's old enough to hear this. Stop worrying.'

Apparently Karen and Yuuto shared incredibly similar sentiments.

_I don't want a lot for Christmas  
There is just one thing I need_

_(and I) Don't care about presents  
Underneath the Christmas tree_

'Do you believe in Santa Claus, Kamui?' Yuzuriha asked. 'I wonder how he'd be able to get from house to house, considering that now people don't really have fireplaces...'

'Maybe he comes in through the windows?' Kamui guessed.

Subaru laughed low, a soft sound that gave Kamui an odd tingly feeling in the pit of his stomach that was definitely not induced by the wine. 'He had better not be arrested for breaking and entering. Imagine the millions of children who wake up to find nothing in their stockings because Mr Claus was stuck in some dingy jailhouse trying to explain that no, it isn't stolen goods in his sack.'

_I don't need to hang my stocking  
There upon the fireplace  
Santa Claus won't make me happy  
With a toy on Christmas day_

The entire party laughed along with them, and Karen took a sip of the wine. 'So, would Kamui-chan like to be one of the bridesmaids at my wedding?'

Kamui flamed scarlet as he crept closer to Subaru, the laughter of his friends ringing pleasantly in his ears even as they teased him playfully. Yuzuriha didn't help but rather compounded the problem, grabbing Kamui's hand and holding up the ring for inspection. 'See! Kamui-chan's wearing a ring! You gave it to him, didn't you, Subaru?'

'Oh ho,' and Karen sounded distinctly like she was cackling, as if she were some wicked witch. 'So, planning to get married any time soon, Kamui-chan?' she asked, winking blatantly at Subaru.

'No, not until his age of majority rolls around,' Subaru replied almost languidly, a wicked twinkle in both eyes. All seven of them were entirely silent for a moment, staring in unadulterated shock at Subaru before they all broke into loud, happy laughter.

_I just want you for my own  
More than you could ever know  
Make my wish come true  
All I want for Christmas is you..._

Subaru gave a small smirk to Kamui, who figured that his plan had just managed to backfire on him.

* * *

Much later at night, they were all joking when Yuzuriha, apparently a little drunker than she appreciated, dug a sprig of mistletoe out of her pocket and raised it above Kamui and Subaru. 'Now, we all know about the mistletoe tradition, don't we?' 

Yuuto raised an eyebrow and noted idly, 'Wine seems to have the same effect on Yuzuriha as Pocky. She gets all high and hyper.'

Apparently, it also made her hearing better, because she chirped, 'Yup! That's right!' turning back to a rather tensed Subaru and Kamui, she grinned _evilly_. 'Nyah! Don't be shy, both of you!'

Suddenly Subaru found his arms full of Kamui as the younger boy recklessly pressed his lips against Subaru's own. Scenting the tang of liquor on his lips, Subaru figured that the violet-eyed youth was just as drunk as Yuzuriha, a pale blush decorating his face both from the drinking and the sudden kiss. _Maybe it's Destiny, as they like to say, _Subaru thought, pulling Kamui closer before the younger boy withdrew and probing soft, full lips with a gentle tongue. Kamui made an odd noise, and then both of them broke apart.

The room broke into enthusiastic, if slightly drunk, applause.

* * *

Kamui staggered slightly, weaving as they made their way up to the apartment, giggling slightly as Subaru attempted to keep the younger boy upright, distracted from the task of sliding the key into the lock by Kamui suddenly latching hands around his waist and nuzzling Subaru's shoulder with his nose. 'Subaru?' 

'Yes, Kamui?' Fiddling with the lock, the door finally gave and Subaru stumbled in with Kamui following after. 'Your present's in the bedroom, Subaru,' Kamui slurred, all but putting his full weight on the taller onmyouji as he leaned against him. 'Merry Christmas.'

'You're totally drunk, Kamui,' Subaru insisted, shutting the door and picking up the younger boy, intending to get him to bed. _Mental note: never again allow Yuuto to give Kamui alcohol. _'Come on. Let's go to bed, shall we?'

Kamui obediently nodded acquiescence as Subaru deposited him on the bed and began the search for pajamas, efficiently stripping Kamui of the button-down shirt, pausing only to run a tender finger down the scars of the younger boy, tracing the patchwork of thin and thick lines before pulling on the pajama shirt.

Tucking the younger boy into bed and carelessly throwing his own trenchcoat to the desk chair, Subaru picked up the case on the bedside table, already knowing what was inside the whimsically shaped bear case. A ring, the exact twin of the one Kamui was already wearing on his ring finger- except that this one didn't come with its own chain.

He should have seen this coming; really, Subaru mused, fingering the platinum bands before putting the ring on his finger and falling into bed.

_It's time to let go of the past, isn't it, Hokuto? So... this is goodbye to you and Seishirou, I suppose. Kamui lives and I want to give him my attention. I want to love him like I loved the two of you. _

Beside him, Kamui rolled over in bed and mumbled a snatch of the song Subaru had heard him whistling earlier. 'All I want for Christmas is you.'

* * *

Arrhythmic: Alright, bad ending! Kill me now. Working under a deadline just drives me mad. I hate deadlines. They are bad. At least this one is over. I woke early in the morning to finish this... man, I am sad. 

Thanks again to all of you who liked this story and reviewed it! (doesn't mean you're off the hook, though, read and review this as a Christmas present for me!) - Merrrrrrrrry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!


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